Draft-gear for railroad-cars.



H. M. PFLAGERV.' DRAFT GEAR FOR RAILROAD GARS.

PPLIOATION FILED mm1?, 19o.

Patented Feb. 2, 1909.

' vented a new and useful UNITED strains PATENT oEEioE.

HARRY M. PFLAGER, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR TO TRANSOM DRFT GEAR COMPANY, OF ST..LOUIS,: MISSOURI,` A

CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

.imriFr-onAR non RAILROAD clins Patented Feb. 2, 1909.

Application tiledl June 17, 1908. Serial No. 438,984.

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, HARRY M; PFLAGER, a citizen of the United States, residing,- at St. Louis, in the State of Missouri,'have in- Improvement in Draft-Gear for Railroad-Cars, of which the following is a specification.

My invention re'lates to that class of draft-gear whichl is applied directly to the body bolster without the use of draft-timbers and separate housing` for the springs with their respective fastenings, and is 1n the nature of an improvement on the Letters Patent of the UnitedStates granted to me October 18, 1904, No. 7 72,37 0, for an improvement in draft-gear for rallroadvcars, havin in view also the'Letters Patent of the nited States granted to me January 23,1906, No. 810,805, in the same class; and 'my invention has for its object to simplify pact, and durable ,draft-gear.

l Theinvention consists' in eliminating the follower-plates, thefdraw-barand yoke for the springs as `described in the said patent.: respectively, combined with other features Tof novelty as hereinafter described and claimed, 'reference being had to the accom any-ing drawing forming partof this speci Figure 1, is a vertical transverse section through my improved draft-gear on line f 1, 1,' 1n Fig. 3, as applied to a metallic car bod -bolster seen 1n front side elevation I draftbro en away;,Fig. 2, a vertical transverse section through the-draft-gearandV a -vertical longitudinal section throu h the corres onding 1i. 3; Fig. `3, a "top y,plan view Aof the boFster broken away andfpartly in horizontal section on line 3, 3, in Fig. 1,' -showing the draft-gear in to` plan, viewyFig'. ft, a vertical longitudina secti n through the ar and a `vertical. transverse section throng the bolster onfline 4, 4" in Fig. 1, and Fig.v 5, a detached, front side. elevation of the'middl'e portion of the bolster as seen in Fig. l, omittin the draft-gear.

Like letters an numerals of`reference denote like parts in all the figures. y

a represents `the car bodyfbolster (broken away) which is preferably composed of cast steel integral throughout, and inthe present ycase 'I-shaped in cross section exceptA at its the construction and provide a strong, com-y and the housings formed in'- part of the Vbolster'on line 2, 2, in-

und for a suitable and Vequal distance from each lateral edge thereof, for the purpose hereinafter described.

The bolster a ,is perforated centrally for theking-bolt l(not shown) and formed on its undersidewith the center-plate 5 in the usual manner, the top flanges 1 being united to the 4center-plate 5 by an upright, preferably square, tubular portion 6, which intersects the web and surrounds the kingbolt, the'middle portion of each wall 3 between the openings Ll being united to the tubular portion 6. preferably, by a lower strengthening rib 7.

is the draw-bar extension (hereinafter termed the draw-bar) having at its inner end a head b which is arranged transversely or wise thereto in the saine horizontal plane therewith, the Quter face 8' of the head b be ing o )posit'e to the front side of the bolster a and ormed with a middle recess'9 which extends from the face 8 for a suitable distance aloner 'and vertically throu'h the drawbar b, the ifurcated portions ofa the headb thus formed beingxfadapted to straddl'e the middle portion, and to pass freely through the openings 1, of the front wall 3, and the fface 8 of the bifurcated head b being Hush with the' inner face of the said wall in the normal position ofthe draft-gear.

Tran'sversely through the web 2 of the bolster a on each side of the tubular portion 6 and ofthe llongitudinal center of the car, is

formed an opening 10 corresponding to each openings through the walls 3, and extending vertically from, the ltop flanges 1 to a bottom web orvbrcket 11 .which projects horizontally from the tubular portion 6 vtor a suitable distance along the web 2, and is adapted to form a bearing seat or support for the combined draft and buiiing spring 12 which is placed thereon inparallel alinement to the said center, or longitudinally between the walls'3, the front end of each spring 12, in the normal position of the draft-gear, bearing against the inner side of the front' wall 3 and the face 8 or inner end of the draw-bar b, b', while the rear end of each spring 12 bears against the inner side of the rear wall 3 and the face 8f of a lyoke c having a middle 'recess 9, and its biiurcat'ed portions thereby formed arranged and adapted to pass freely through the ope-nings at in the rear wall 3 in a similar manner to that described for the inner end of the draw-bar Y), Z2', through the front wall 3, the arms 13 of the yoke o which are adapted to straddle the springs 12 and pass freely through the openings l0 in the web 2 of the bolster a, being coupled at their free ends to the head o of the draw-bar b by the pins 11 inv the usual manner.

For insuring a bearing surface for the head b'of the draw-bar l), and for the yoke c through their respective vopenings 4 of the Walls 3 in the operation of the draft-gear, each wall 3 is formed'along the top and bottom edges respectively.vv of its openings 4, withl au outwardly projecting horizontal flange 15, the flanges 15 of the front and rea-r walls 3 overlapping the head ZJ and the yoke c respectively at all times.

For assembling each spring 12 within the space therefor between the Walls@ of the bolster va, the outer end oi each opening 10 through the web 2 on each side of the tubular portion 6, is preferably enlarged, or made circula-r in form, diamctrically somewhat larger than the spring 12 which can thereby be inserted therethrough and atl-- justed laterally on lo its bearing seat 11 end Wise to the Walls $3, the springs 12 being pre- Vented from lateral displacement on assembling the remaining parts of the draft-gear, on-one side by the tubular portion t3, and on the other side by the arms 13 of the yoke In operation, assuniing the several parts of the draft-gear to be in their normal position-as described and shown by the drawing, on the front movement of the draw-bar b, Z, When pulling, and consequent release of its face S from the front ends of the springs 12, the latter are compressed at their rear ends by the ia-ee S et the yoke c against the front wall 3 of the lwlster'a, while, on the rear movement of-the draw-bar Z), Il', when buiiing, and consequent release of the yoke c from the rear ends of the springs 12, the

'latter are compressed `at their front ends by I theface 8 of the draw-bar b, b against the rear wall '3 of the bolster a, whereby follower-plates, and housings for the springs onl the draw-bar and yoke, as described in the said respective patents, are dispensed with, and the draft-gear thereby much simplified and rendered stronger, more compact, Mand durable.

I do not limit myself. to the particular form and material o'l the bolster (z described and shown ou the drawings as the same arrangement of Id aft-gear is applicable to otlierforms otbody-bolster by modifying its constructive details and utilizing a trout and rear member thereof', spaced apart and opposite to cach other, to form the stops for the springs, said members being also adapted for the tree play therethrough ot the drawbar and yoke of the draft-gear inthe manner described at all times.

What l claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent isz 1. ln a car drai'tgear of the character described, the eo'mbinatimi with the undert'rame haring aA front member and a rear nuunber spaced apart from and opposite to the iront memlwr, oi a spring clement internwdiate to and adapted to be compressed against each of the said members, a drawbar adapted to engage the front end of the said element and slidable thereat through openings in the said front member, and a yoke coupled to`t.hedrawbar and adapted to engage the rearend ot the said clement, and slidable thereat through openings in the said rear member, substantially as described.

In a ear draft-gear of the character described, the combination with the body-bolster, of a front member, a rear member opposite to and spaced apart from the front member, springs ar 'anged' longitudinally between and adapted to bear endwise against the said members, suitable supports for ,the springs between the said members, a drawba adapted to engage the :front ends of the springs and slidable thereat through openings in the said ifiont member, and a yoke coupled t0 the draw-bar and slidable transversely through the bolster, the said yoke ,being adapted to engage the rear ends of the springs and slidable thereat through openings in the said'rear member, substantially as described.

HARRY M. PFLAGER.

Witnesses:

HAL Brumrlnmc, llnwfnn Vil. Finuaum. 

